South Essex Conservatives Took a Hammering in a Labour Surge

Last night (May 3) the Conservatives in what should be their safest area took a hammering from Southend -on-Sea, Castle Point and Basildon in a Labour Party surge. In my own constituency of Castle Point, the Labour Party failed to breakthrough, but we did cut the dominant Conservative majorities enough to have a situation were Labour Candidates lost by two hundred to three hundred votes. In Southend-on-Sea the Conservatives lost their majority on the council for the council itself to go under No Overall Control with Labour claiming two more Councillors at the expense of the Conservatives. In Basildon itself, Labour did well in Pitsea and generally took votes away from the Conservatives.

In all the Labour Party did well either cutting majorities ready for the next election to expelling Conservative Councillors outright. For an area once claimed as Conservative untouchable heartland, the area has become more open to the Labour Party.

In my own ward of Appleton were I stood against the Conservative Candidate I lost by 323 votes, which may not be good for other borough's, but for Castle Point Labour that is a good result. In myself I knew that the mountain to climb would not be assailed overnight, but over a period of time. Last night the mountain became a steep hill that can be assailed if the work begins now. In my fiancees ward of Cedar Hall which was not a target ward and thus not campaigned in by Labour, Labour ironically lost by a mere 213 votes.

What is needed now is more work and more campaigning, as we came close this year. Now what we need is to work our wards and show the Conservatives that we are back in business!